Casing head



March 1927@ J. E. HlTcHcocK .1620888 CASING HEAD Filed Aug. zo, 1923 tim/5 ///rcwcocng Bf Ki @am Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

y JAMES n. HITCHCOCK, CFFULLERTO'N, CALIFORNIA.

f CAsING HEAD. Q

Appiiation lea'august 2o, 1923. serial No. 658,333.

My invention relates to casing heads for closing'the end of any pipe on' which a 'collar vor coupling is screwed, and 'is part1cularly useful in the roil ywell appara-tusfor `closing the upper end of the oil well casing and connecting witha pump in order that cement `may. be pumped under pressure into the'casing orgmud circulated therein under pressure. i yhe `general object of my invention is to provide a simple 'casing head of the char-` acterl stated which may be readily applied to a collaredend of a pipe or removed there- `from andwhich will be highly efficient inoperation.

Other objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig.`1 isaside elevationof my casing head applied to a collar on the upper end 'of an yoil well casing, means being shown for raising or lowering the casing and for holding the same in position for pumping cement f 'or mud therethrough, and the casing being shown extending through the floor of an oil well derrick into an oil well.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of my casing head shown applied to a collar 'on the upper end of an oil well casing.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of my casing head applied to a. .collar on the upper end of an oil well casing taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig; 4 is a plan view of my casing head.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of my casing head and the casing to which my head is applied taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 `is a side view of a modied form of one of the links of the clamping means of my invention.

My casing head includes a ring 1, cap 2, segmental slips 3 and lclamping means 4. The'internal diameter 5 of the ring 1 is larger than the oil well casing 6 and the' collar 7 yscrewed on the `upper end of said casing so that 'said ring may be readily- The cap `2 is vprovided Iwith'an annular groove 9 in .its under side, `to receive the said side with an annular flange 10 depend-f ing below and forming the inner wall of f upper edge of the collar 7, and is formed on l said groove, there being a packing V11 fin said groove forengaging the uppery collar when introduced into said groove.

The clamping means 4 is constructed as follows: Radial arms 12, preferably four in number and spaced equi-distant apart, which project outwardly from the ring 1 and are provided with radial slots 13v iny which are secured the lower ends of upstanding-fvertif cal links 14 by means of pins 15 extending elge of said -f horizontally through said'r arms `and said lower ends of said links, the walls of said slots beingshown as of such configuration as to hold vsaid links substantially upright,

to 'facilitate' assembly. Radial arm's'fl6, 'cor` responding to the arms 12, project outwardly from the cap 2 and are provided withL radial slots 17, through which extend the .upper ends of the links 11. The upper ends of said links are provided with slots 18 to receive wedges 19 which are adapted toengage the upper face of the cap 2 to draw the ring 1 upwardlyv until the upper faces of the slips 3 engage the lower edge of the collar 7, and to draw the cap 2 downwardlyuntil the upper end of said` collar seats inthe groove 9 against the packing 11 and upon the outer face of the flange 10, whereby the head is clampedfirmly upon the ends ofl said lcollar and an effective fluid-tight joint formedbetween the upper end of said collar and the head cap 2. f

The cap 2 is lprovided with a central threaded aperture 20, in which aperture is screw seated one end of a pump pressure pipe 21, which endof said pipe is threaded for engaging the threads of said aperture, through which pipe 21 cement may be pumped under pressure through the casing into cavities in the well or mud circulatedA through said casing under pressure, in a well known manner. The ring 1 is provided with a pair of eyes or apertured ears 22 to receive the lower ends of a U-shaped hanger r 23, on the lower ends of which hangers are screw seated nuts 24 which engage the lowerside of'said eyes so that a hook 25 ron the lower end of a Cable 26 suspended in an oil well derrick may engage vthe upper end of' said hanger for lifting the casing 6 through my closing head and holding said casing in position for pumping cementor mud under` n pressure therethrough.

Inthe modified form of the link 14: shown in Fig. 6, said link is made. in two sections.

3() and 31, joined .together by a screw shank 32 on the lower end of section 31, whicli tio'n31 having a slot 18'to receive ai wedge'l 19.i By turning the section 31- one 'way or' 'the other', the threaded engagemento'f the shankv 32 and socket 33 willicaiise the link 14 to vbe' extended or shortened, whereby the ring 1 andcap 2 may be adjusted closer together or further apart to fit collars 7 of different lengths, thus Vadjusting` -tlieliinits Ao'l.

clainpin ;g` action 'ofthe clamping iiieans il.

I claim as iny invention:

1. A casing,` head including.: a cap; a ringl applicableto a casing below a Vcollar secured vion. an endof said casing; 'means applicable.

to said ringpfor'engaging .the-:lower end ot said collar; upstanding Zlinks,secured at their loweriendswfto said ringV and* proiecting through slots' in sai-d cap; and wedges adapt. ed tobe driven;tliroiigh. slots'finethe upper l'my hand at Los Angel ends of said links for engaging the upper face of said cap to clamp said ring and said capunpon vtheulowvveij and upper ends` respectively of said collar; said links being formed in twosections, a threaded shank on o-ne end of one section engaging` a. threaded socket in the adjoining end of the other section for extending or shortening the links to vary the clampinggofvthe.head to adapt the head to the collars of different lengths.

2. A casing head including.: -a ringfa'pplif cable to a. casingl below a collarsecuredionf an end of said casin-ggpmeans applic'ablefto said ringfor engaging the lower Aendlof said.' collar; upstandingE links-secured at their.-

lower ends toi saidqringf. and.projecting-1v through slotsl in saidfcap and wedges adapt-f ed to be driven'ithroupjh'said slots in tlieiipe per ends oir said links for engaging thea upY per face of saidca-p, to clamp said. ring,` andl said cap upon the lower and upper. endsref'.l

spectively oit .said collar;l saidnlinks 'beingv v 'formed in` two Asections;providedwlth thread ed means for extending.or-shortening'said links t0 vary the clamping,V of the head.

ln testimonyPwliereof, .I have yhereunto set 13th day of August311923;

i JAMES n. HiT-onoocie.

es,fCalitornia, this 

